Picking bag



1952 c. w. HEITMEYER 2,620,004

PICKING BAG Filed Sept. 16, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 INVENTOR. CHARLES W. HEITMEYER BY DES gRDINS, ROBINSON PfElSER HIS ATTORNEYS 1952 c. w. HEITMEYER ,004

PICKING BAG Filed Sept. 16, 1950 2 SI-iEETS-SHEET 2 IN VEN TOR. CHARLES W. HEITMEYER .BY DES JARDINS, ROBINSON KEISER HIS ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 2, 1952 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to picking bags, and it particularly pertains to picking bags for fruits and vegetables having a soft, flexible, compressible lining with a sidewall portion extending below the open bottom of the bag to provide a bottom closure for the bag when the fruits or vegetables are being picked and also provide a temporary lining or pad for the bottom of a container into which they are dumped from the picking bag.

Great care is necessary to prevent fruits and vegetables, such as apples, pears, plums, tomatoes, and the like from being bruised while being picked and transferred from the picking bags into baskets or other containers. To prevent this the .bags are either made of rigid, non-flexible material or else provided with a rigid non-flexible protector in which a flexible container is placed. Such devices are of course not only heavy and cumbersome to handle but they do not provide means for protecting the contents from being bruised while contained in the bag or in being transferred from it to another container in which they are placed for shipment or for further handling.

Accordingly, the principal object of my invention is in the provision of a picking bag which is soft, flexible and compressible.

Another object of the invention is in the provision of a picking bag which protects the contents contained therein against bruising and while being removed therefrom.

Another object of the invention is in the provision of a picking bag which is of a construction to provide a common means for closing the bottom and in transferring the contents to another container.

Further objects, and objects relating to details of construction will readily appear from the detailed description to follow. In one instance, I have accomplished the objects of my invention by the device and means set forth in the following specification. My invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the appended claims. A bag structure constituting a preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a picking bag embodying my invention with the bottom end open.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view of the bag on line 2-2 of. Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bag with the bottom end closed.

iii)

Fig. 4 is a detailed cross sectional view of the bottom end of the bag and a container in which the contents of the bag are being dumped.

The invention generally described comprises a flexible bag made from a sheet of any suitable material, such as canvas or similar fabric. The opposite ends of a sheet are joined together to provide a surrounding wall open at its top and bottom ends. A ring is attached to the upper end of the bag for holding it in open uncollapsed condition and also to receive shoulder straps or other holding means by which the bag is carried by the user. The bottom open end can be opened and closed by folding and fastening it to the side of the bag. The lining is of any suitable material, such as sponge rubber or the like. This liner is of the same general construction and shape as the flexible bag except that it has an extension projecting downwardly on one .side. This projection of the liner may be folded with the bottom end of the bag to close the bottom end, and both are secured in folded position by means carried on one side wall to engage with means carried on the other side wall of the bag. When the bag is to be dumped or emptied, the hook is unfastened, thereby permittin the extension to be laid upon the bottom of a container into which the contents of the bag are to be dumped. Accordingly, with this construction the contents are not only protected against crushing and bruising while contained in the bag but also while they are being transferred from the bag into another container.

Referring specifically to the drawings, numeral 2 designates a bag of tubular form made of fabric and open at its top and bottom ends. The upper margin 3 of the bag is folded into a hem and stitched at 5 about a ring 6 that is contained therein for holding the open top end of the bag against collapsing. Links 8 are fastened to the top of the bag by straps 9, riveted at l0, for receiving the ends of shoulder straps A or other holding means. The opposite ends of the straps are detachably connected to another link H clipped to the opposite side of the top end of the bag by strap 12. A second link I la is secured to the strap in a'position to receive a hook I3, carried near the bottom end of the bag and on its opposite side, when the bottom end is folded and closed. Below this link Ila is another link l4 held by a strap l5 riveted at IE to the bag. The closed bag can be made of smaller capacity when hook I3 is connected to the top link Ila and of larger capacity when connected to the lower link [4.

The bag is lined with soft flexible, compressible material of any suitable material, preferably sponge rubber. A sheet of sponge rubber I! is fitted to the shape of the bag and secured thereto by having its upper end contained Within the hem and held by the stitching 5. The bottom end of the lining is provided on one side with extension 20 that is of substantial length to provide a pad for covering the bottom of a basket or container 2|,:into which the bag'contents 22 are dumped, for preventing them from being bruised in being dumped.

When the contents of the bag are to be dumped into a container 2| the hook I3 is disengaged from link M or Ila to open the bottom end of the bag. The bag is placed in the .containerxso that the extension of the liner will lie across,

the bottom of the container, and as the ba'g'i's pulled away and withdrawn from the container the bag contents will be rolled over the extensionas they are dumped from the bag. The ex- -.tension serves-as a cushionin'g pad .to .prevent th contents being bruised in being rolled off into the container.

From the foregoing description of the. picking bag, itsconstructionanduse is obvious.- While a flexible-bag;is preferred,.it will .be understood thatthe flexible andcompress'ible lining is .also adaptedfor use with bagsformed of .anymater-ial. Although the lining material. is preferably of such-material. as. sponge rubber, it could, of course/be ofany.material.'that is sufficiently 'softi-and compressiblentoserve as a pad. or'cushion to protect the bag contents from'being bruised .andcrushed. The extension on'the lining not vonly serves :as a pad ,protector. fordumping the -contentslfroml thebag but it also. serves in' build- .ing up .a bulky. mass on'the bag while itisfused for picking, therebylfurther protecting theicontentsi'from being bruised.

II amaware that there may be 'variouschanges .inlthe construction of. the preferred embodiment ",hereinillustrate'd anddescribed Without departing from the spirit of the"invention,and, accrd- "ingly, my invention is' limited onlybythe appended claims.

"Having "thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by 0 United States Letters Patent is:

l. A p'i'ckin'gb'ag comprising a tubular body portion open a't its opposite ends, a flexible and compressible lining having aportion extending beyond one 'of the open ends of the tubmarbody. .at oneside only of saidtubular' body, adaptedto be folded with the bottom end of the tubular body portion for closing the bottom end thereof and also to provide a cushion for the bottom of another container into which the contents are dumped from the picking bag, means attached to one side of the tubular body portion adjacent its bottom end back of the lining extension, and means on the opposite side of said tubular body portion remote from its bottom end adapted to be detachably connected with thefirst mentioned means for opening "and" closing the bottom end of the bag.

2. A picking bag comprising a combination of a tubular member opening at its opposite ends, a

ring attached to the top end of the tubular memberaiming of sponge rubber for the tubular member-having an extension projecting beyond the open bottom end opposite to that to which 'the-'1'rin"g is attached and at one side only, means for securing the liningito the bag, and means for -detachably connecting .the opposite .sides. of the tubular member above theextens'ion ior opening and closing the bag 3. Av picking bag comprising a "flexible '.-tubular body open. at its opposite -ends,.-a. hen1 .onone end of thebodylhaving a ring secured .t'herein-ior holding said end open, I as soft, compressiblelining (having an extension on .one side. projectingcbeloslv thebottomopen end of the-body atone. sideonly of said body, a plurality of fastening. means -vertically spaced apartonvonesideoiithe body and cooperating. fastening. means. carried on. theother side of the .body..-a'dapted tobe selectively ..'con

nected toany of the fastening :means. CHARLES W.. REFERENCES err-En The following; references :areof .record. in.- the file of this patent: 

